The sole finalist for La Plata County manager, John Cattles, visited the community this week to meet residents and undergo final interviews.
Speaking Wednesday to about 20 people in the county administration building, Cattles, currently an assistant county manager in Gunnison, laid out his strategic vision for navigating the county’s mounting fiscal challenges.
Cattles acknowledged that La Plata County is at a financial crossroads, facing declining revenues and increasing community expectations.
He outlined a three-tier budgeting framework: first, fulfilling statutory obligations such as public safety and human services; second, advancing board strategic goals; and third, funding discretionary grants. During lean years, he said, grants must be the lowest priority.
“It’s a very simple framework … and very similar to what commissioners are doing right now,” he said.
Drawing from his Gunnison County experience, Cattles recalled the abrupt closure of the area’s largest coal mine, which caused a steep drop in valuations.
He argued La Plata County’s situation, while challenging, is manageable – especially with honest communication and careful planning.
He emphasized that residents must understand the role of county government, which often goes unnoticed, and said he would serve as a visible spokesperson to tell that story.
“We’re going to have to have really honest conversations with the community about what we can and cannot do, and communicate clearly where cuts are going to be made,” he said.
The county’s financial challenges stem from long-term trends. For decades, high property tax revenues from the oil and gas industry supported services at low tax rates.
Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and the Gallagher Amendment further locked those rates into law, and even after Gallagher’s repeal, state lawmakers reduced assessment rates, Cattles said. As a result, La Plata County has seen a 46% reduction in property tax revenue over the past 15 years.
While the county has healthy reserves thanks to past leadership, he warned those funds “are not going to last forever” and said long-term reforms are needed to align services with sustainable revenues.
He also acknowledged that the changes that need to be made won’t happen overnight.
“It’s going to take time. It's not going to happen in one year, but we can start to rebuild our revenue sources into something that’s a little bit more sustainable,” Cattles said. “I’m a believer in incrementalism and that’s how I would want to see the county approach this – carefully and incrementally.”
During the question and answer portion of the meeting, he was asked about his background with planning, building and permitting, and how he believes economic impacts on individuals, businesses or the county should be considered in the permitting process.
Cattles, who has a degree in architecture and more than a decade of building experience, said his background gives him perspective on both sides of the permitting process.
He emphasized that while regulation is necessary to protect community values, government has a responsibility to provide fair, efficient and predictable reviews, because delays directly affect people’s livelihoods
Cattles supports strong building codes, but believes they can coexist with affordable housing if paired with innovation and clear timelines. He added that budget constraints limiting staff capacity can slow reviews and hurt the local economy, underscoring the need for transparency, accountability and consistency in permitting.
County commissioners expect to make a final hiring decision by the week’s end.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
